A Mahogany Sheraton Style Single Chair - Country Sheraton Design Armchair  -  Chair of the Early Regency Period

A Sheraton design chair of considerable workmanship. Many such chairs are to be found painted in white and gilt or otherwise having painted decoration on birch or beech wood. In the main the painted versions are
more highly sought after than the mahogany ones, which makes for higher prices. Note the turned and fluted legs. The arm uprights have spiral reeding.
A Sheraton design arm and single chair in mahogany. The uprights and arms are reeded, which lightens the square solidarity of design. Note the vase shaped turned arm supports and the way in which the broad top
rail is panelled. The legs and back uprights are reeded; this effect is also carried round the panel in the wider top back rail.
A simpler Sheraton design with tapering legs normally made in mahogany. The arm uprights are of straightforward turning without the spiral reeding which adds greatly to price. An elegant and simple style which remained popular for many years.
Late 18th century arm and single chairs. Note the broad top rail in the back, the panel veneered in figured mahogany. The spiral twist middle rail is a feature of quality particularly important in value assessment of these chairs. The legs are turned, without any fluting. The arms of the elbow chair sweep forward and curve down to meet the line of the front legs. The proportion of these admirable smaller dining chairs makes them
extremely popular in the modern home,
Another late Georgian c. 1810 mahogany armchair, something of a combination of Sheraton and prevailing styles. The wide top back rail is veneered with a panel of figured mahogany and the centre rail is elegantly
reeded. The turning of the front legs and the arm supports, with the popular vase shape, is lightly and gracefully done. Occasionally brass stringing will be found around the inlaid back panel, which adds to the
decorative value.
A mahogany Sheraton style single chair with Gothic arching in the design of the back. The legs are tapered on the inside edge only and are reeded, as is the back. An elegant and simple chair.
A mahogany armchair of the late 18th century. An excellent example of a good quality chair, as evidenced in the reeding and lightness of design of the back. The turned legs are a little clumsier and have hints of later
things to come.
Country Sheraton design armchair in mahogany with bowed solid seat. A satisfying and simple country design of which many were made to meet the popular demand caused by the town versions.
A simpler Sheraton design with tapering legs normally made in mahogany. The arm uprights are of straightforward turning without the spiral reeding which adds greatly to price. An elegant and simple style which remained popular for many years.
Late 18th century arm and single chairs. Note the broad top rail in the back, the panel veneered in figured mahogany. The spiral twist middle rail is a feature of quality particularly important in value assessment of these chairs. The legs are turned, without any fluting. The arms of the elbow chair sweep forward and curve down to meet the line of the front legs. The proportion of these admirable smaller dining chairs makes them
extremely popular in the modern home.
Another late Georgian c. 1810 mahogany armchair, something of a combination of Sheraton and prevailing styles. The wide top back rail is veneered with a panel of figured mahogany and the centre rail is elegantly
reeded. The turning of the front legs and the arm supports, with the popular vase shape, is lightly and gracefully done. Occasionally brass stringing will be found around the inlaid back panel, which adds to the
decorative value.
Proportion and design  Figure of wood and inlays
A country Sheraton single chair in mahogany with straight legs and solid seat. The square back with vertical rails owes much to the popularity of Sheraton styles, otherwise the design comes from a straightforward 18th century construction.
A rather heavier Sheraton style mahogany country chair with drop-in seat. The broad top rail of the back has been made slightly wider than the back uprights which detracts slightly from the elegance of the style.
Otherwise the construction and tapering legs are typical.
An elegant chair of the early Regency period, with caned back and seat. The outward turn of the simulated bamboo legs is most effective and the balance is completed by the curved top rail. The seat rail and the top
rail are inlaid with stringing in the approved classical manner. Many of these chairs were made of birch or beech and then ebonised or painted. They are almost inevitably very expensive.
Lightness and elegance of design

Chippendale Mahogany Armchair - Mid-18th Century Chair in Mahogany - George II Period Chair - A Victorian Button-Back Mahogany ‘Ladies’ Chair with Cabriole Legs

UPHOLSTERED CHAIRS
Value points: Early examples with original upholstery even if in worn condition command a premium over the range quoted, often by an appreciable amount if the work is of fine quality. The position is reversed in the case of Victorian Chairs where the upholstery is usually of ordinary quality. Clearly most purchasers would pay a premium for good new quality material.
Early 18th century wing armchair with cabriole legs in walnut. Upholstered in leather. This is a fine example and well illustrates the three dimensional quality of the design. The wings sweep into the arms of this fine quality chair, which is as comfortable to sit in as one might imagine. Note the shape of the back legs; this feature is not normally well imitated by later craftsmen.
A George III wing armchair upholstered in leather. Note the square stretcher and leg construction of ‘Chippendale’ design. The curve of the wings is pleasant but the arms are a little stiff.
N. B. As these chairs command high prices there is a grave temptation to make a set of legs in the Georgian style and cover the modern frame with leather. Such examples usually lack the fluency of curve which was
found in better class examples.
A Chinese Chippendale mahogany armchair with upholstered back and arms. The bamboo motif is evident. The front legs are a remarkable achievement of craftsmanship and the nicely-scrolled brackets add considerable balance. The upholstery covering is of typical period design.
Mid-18th century chair in mahogany showing Chippendale con-struction in legs and stretchers.
Value points: Carving or moulding on legs  Originality of casters
A later George III period mahogany wing armchair. The sweep of the curve formed by the wings and the back rail is important. Compare the straight high line of the wings and arms in this example with the fluency of the two previous examples. This example is also rather thin, lacking the generous proportions of the better quality chairs. The lines would be improved by upholstery but the basic quality is lacking. The legs are tapered ending in casters.
Design of legs
George II period mahogany chair with stuffed back and saddle shaped seat. Covered in Soho tapestry woven with birds and small landscapes in broad naturalistic flower borders; on scrolled cabriole legs.
Mid-18th century open giltwood armchair with considerable Adam influence in the frieze and fluted legs.
A later 18th century open armchair of French influence but actually of a type made also by Chippendale. The decoration includes cartouche backs headed by shell cabochons. The frame is carved with leaf mouldings, the scrolled arms with leaf shoulders. Covered in later gros-point needlework with panels of flowers in key-pattern frame against a blue ground with roses.
Bergere caned chair of Regency period, in rosewood. These well made chairs have increased in popularity over recent years.
A George III period open armchair with arched stuffed back and padded arms on curved supports with anthemion carving, the moulded frame with bead carving, the stuffed seat on turned tapering reeded legs with lotus leaf feet.
Regency period chair decorated with brass or painted gilt mounts, frequently ebonised.
Value points: Brass decorations
Well curved leg with stretcher
A mid-Victorian open armchair in walnut, of the popular button-back type. The fluency of the curve between the arm supports and the cabriole leg is spoilt by the thickness of wood at the point where the scrolls are carved. Most examples are better balanced. This example is in walnut, but many were made in mahogany.
Value points: Decoration  Rosewood
A Victorian button-back mahogany ‘ladies’ chair, with cabriole legs. The top rail is decorated with leaf carving. The ‘grandmother’ equivalent of the previously illustrated ‘grandfather’ (i.e. with arms).
Later Victorian upholstered chair on mahogany cabriole legs. One of a large number of similar designs which being very comfortable have doubled in price over the last 3 to 4 years.

Country Chair of c. 1800 -  Regency Chair - A Regency Period Library Chair - A Gillows Chair - Balloon-Back Victorian Chair in Walnut

A very simplified country chair of c. 1800. The design owes something to Sheraton in the tapering front legs and squared style of the back. The two horizontal rails are very plain and more ornamented versions are to be found. The solid bowed seat is made of elm and the rest of the chair is fruitwood.
Late 18th/Early 19th century oak spindle-back chairs, sometimes called ‘Lancashire’ chairs. They are rush-seated and are sometimes made of elm.
Another very elegant Regency chair with rope twist motif on the back and sabre legs. The caned seat again adds to the overall lightness of design.
A Regency arm and single chair similar to the previous example in ropetwist designbut withdrop inseats insteadof cane. Thepanelbetween the horizontal rails in the back is inlaid with brass.
A similar pair of Regency chairs with reeding continuous down back uprights, sides and sabre legs. The carved decoration is simple and elegant.
A Regency period library chair which converts into a set of steps. These chairs usually attracted a high degree of craftsmanship and are normally in either mahogany or rosewood. The arms and sabre front legs exhibit typical Regency characteristics although there is a hint of William IV in the broad carved top back rail.
Rather a hybrid piece of furniture which was either little made originally or subject to demolition from heavy bibliophiles. Either. way, now becoming rarer and more expensive.
A mahogany Regency chair with lyre motif in the back. The curved side rails and sabre legs are reeded to give a continuous effect. The drop-in seat is located by a peg set in the top of the front rail. As with all sabre-leg chairs the front legs should be examined carefully to seewhether the top has beendamaged; the constructionof a sabre leg necessitates cutting across the grain of the wood thereby reducing the strength of the timber.
It is a sign of quality if there are none of these repairs.
For some reason the lyre causes a rush of blood to the head in chair purchasers; look for inflated values accordingly.
A typical Regency mahogany sabre-leg chair of pleasing proportion and design. Elegant and small, yet comfortable, this type of chair has become understandably very popular since the war of 1939-45. They are also to be found in rosewood, an even heavier and more durable wood which increases their value.
A late Regency or William IV period chair made of mahogany. In the heavy curl of the arms and the fluted front legs the approach of the Victorian era is foretold. The bold, wide, outward-pointing top rail is typical of the 1830-40 decade. Look out for conversion front legs i. e. the original turned and fluted ones are sometimes removed ana replaced by sabre legs to increase value.
Typical late Regency-cum-William IV rosewood single chair. The front legs are octagonal in section and the design has become heavier. The drop-in seat is still light in character however and the classical influence still evident.
A Gillows chair of 1841 made for Colonel Cradock. The back shows a stage in design which precedes the balloon back, while the heavily turned and reeled legs of the period have been replaced by finely made and
decorated cabriole legs. The seat rail has moved away from the Straight Regency design, and the total appearance is much lighter than the sub-classical designs of the 1820-40’s. The top rail is undecided as to whether it is to follow the downward curve of the preceding example or to strike out into the new balloon shape. The French influence is also evident in the decorative effects.
Another mid-Victorian chair with cabriole legs and needlework back and seat. The legs are more slenderly treated, with less curvature and the scrolled knobs at the feet are less accentuated.
A country mahogany chair of the 1820-40 period. The Regency influence is evident in the arms, but the broad top rail belongs to the later part of the period.
Balloon-back Victorian chair in walnut. The cabriole legs, despite a tendency towards bandyness, mark the distinct move away from the heavy turned legs of the previous years. The nicely proportioned curve of the seat rail between the legs helps to accentuate the change to a flowing, curved effect. These chairs were evidently very popular and were made for a number of years - perhaps up to the 1860’s and in a modified form throughout the rest of the period.
Early Victorian (1839) Gillows chair with turned and fluted front legs. The downward curve of the thick top rail, which is carved, helps to produce a more integrated design. It is a sitting room chair with padded back to give additional comfort.

Antique Dining Walnut and Mahogany Chairs, Regency, Victorian and George III Elbow Armchairs

A SET OF SIX WALNUT DINING CHAIRS, mid 18th century
Each with a pierced vase split and drop-in seat, on cabriole legs terminating in trifid feet.
A SET OF EIGHT EBONISED AND DECORATED ELBOW CHAIR
Each silver-painted with floral sprays and interlaced ovals with lozenges, the curved back with shaped X-framed splits, with a bowed caned seat with squab, on ring-turned tapered legs.
A MAHOGANY OPEN WING ARMCHAIR, late 19th century
With a padded undulating back and arms with moulded downswept supports, the seat on moulded square chamfered legs.
A WILLIAM IV MAHOGANY RECLINING ARMCHAIR
With a padded curved back, racketed scroll arms and seat with a sliding footrest with hinged square tapered leg supports, on inverted lotus tapered legs terminating in brass caps and castors, stamped R. Daives and
bearing a brass plate Dawe Patent, 17 Margaret Street, Cavendish Square, London.
Robert Dawes is recorded at this address between 1820 and 1839 and patented his “Improved Recumbent Chair” in 1827, Dictionary of English Furniture Makers, Maney, 1986.
A REGENCY EBONISED ARMCHAIR
With a padded scroll back, arms and seat on line decorated sabre legs with castors.
A PAIR OF VICTORIAN ARMCHAIRS
Each with a moulded open back and C-scroll horizontal sprat, with scroll arms and padded serpentine seat, on cabriole legs.
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY DINING CHAIR
The angled arched back bound by a laurel garland and with an acanthus scroll lyre splat, with a padded bowedseat, on turned fluted tapered legs.
With a pierced fret-carved top and interlaced blind fret-carved tapered and stiff-leaf column, on foliate splayed tripod supports with pad feet.
A LATE VICTORIAN MAHOGANY ARMCHAIR
The shaped acanthus-carved back with a rocaille cresting and pierced interlaced vase splat, with outswept scroll arms and padded serpentine seat, on hipped C-scroll cabriole legs terminating in acanthus scroll feet.
A VICTORIAN WALNUT ARMCHAIR
With a padded curved arched back and bowed seat, on ring-turned tapered legs with castors, stamped Gowtan & Sons, Oxford St. London.
Cowtan & Sons, successors to the firm  of J. Duppa are listed as house decorators, painters, paperstainers, upholsterers and cabinet makers and were active in the second half of 19th century and early part of this
century.
A PAIR OF GEORGE III MAHOGANY LADDER-BACK DINING CHAIRS
Each with a pierced undulating top-rail and splats, with a drop-in seat, on square chamfered legs, restorations.
A PAIR OF REGENCY ROSEWOOD ELBOW CHAIRS
Each with a turned top-rail and pierced X-frame splats, with a caned bowed seat on ring-turned outswept legs.
A GEORGE III MAHOGANY ELBOW CHAIR
The back with moulded vertical splats, with a padded saddle seat, on square tapering legs, one later stretcher and part re-railed.

CHAIRS: READING, WRITING, DESK AND LIBRARY
About 1700-1900
Early-18thC ‘horseman’s’ or ”cockfighting’ chair.
Various gentlemen’s reading and writing chairs evolved during the 18thC for use in libraries and studies and, in the 19thC, in clubs.
‘Cockfighting’, ‘horseman’s’ and later, ‘conversation’ chairs, about 1700-1800: Fully upholstered pear-shaped seat, padded back with narrow base rising into flat curved section. cabriole legs, at first with substantial stretchers. The sitter sat astride the chair and leant forward on the crest rail. Sometimes the back is fitted with a book-rest and/or candle-stands or holders. Mid-century onwards more often wooden splat with flattened wooden crest rail, sometimes dished for candlesticks.
Regency ‘bergere’ armchairs, Regency bergere armchair with book-rest and candle-stands.
Above, a late Regency/William IV reading chair anticipating the popular Victorian Eaton Hall type.
1800-1830: Wooden frame and back, sides and seat filled with cane work. Loose leather back and seat cushions and fixed padded armrests. Often adjustable bookrest or candleholders fixed to arm(s). Straight, turned front legs continuous with column arm supports. Back legs raked. Rectangular, flat-topped back can be shaped for comfort. All legs were mounted on castors.
`Eaton Hall’ chairs (particularly popular for clubs), about 1830-1900: A development of earlier corner chairs (see p. 73) and ‘horseman’s’ chairs (above), but for conventional use. Circular seats with semi-circular flat
wooden or deeply padded crest rail following same line, joined by broad pierced splat or, more commonly, ten turned spindles. Turned front and raked back legs on castors. Crest rail can have raised centre. In general, the heavier and more bulbous the turnings, the later the chair was made.
Walnut, mahogany; occasionally oak in the 19thC. Nearly always leather upholstery.
Standard methods employed. Bookrests adjustable on ratchet system.
Generally none, other than turnings on legs, spindles and arm supports.
Polish. French polish in 19thC. Ebonised finish occasionally from about 1870-1890.
VALUES
The rarity of horseman’s chairs and elegance of bergeres usually push their prices into four figures. Pairs of the latter are especially sought after and often more than the normal three times the price of a single.
Victorian desk and club chairs vary according to quality, but most are somewhere in the low hundreds.
New leather upholstery on all types should be valued at cost.

CHAIRS: REGENCY
About 1800-1840
(extending several years either side of the Regency itself, 1811-1820). Chairs made between about 1825 and 1840 are often referred to as ‘late Regency’ or ‘late classical’; those of the 1830s occasionally still ‘William
IV’).
Usually very elegant chairs, some based on previous Sheraton types, but many inspired by Ancient Greek klismos chairs, with their distinctive sabre legs. Nelson’s naval victories resulted in the inclusion of many naval emblems in furniture design after 1803, and in chairs is apparent in back supports carved as twisted rope. This has earned all sabre-leg chairs of Regency date the popular name ‘Trafalgars’, though correctly this only refers to those with rope designs.
Sabre-leg chairs: Flush-sided (will lie completely flat when on side), with two horizontal rails forming back supports set between side uprights. Uprights with neatly scrolled ends forming continuous curving lines with side Sheraton-style painted armchair, about 1810.
Regency ‘Trafalgar’ Chair Wwith rope back .sabre legs and drop-in seat.
seat rails and legs. Sometimes continuous reeding present on front/upper surface. Front legs of sabre form (see illus.), rear legs also outward-curving, but less pronounced. No stretchers. Crest rail may be deep and
flat, often with restrained carved or inlaid decoration. Lower support usually carved and pierced (in a great variety of designs). Either rail can be of twisted rope form, sometimes bordering section of other shape.
Cane-seated armchair similar to Trafalgar chair on previous page, with typically strolled arms.
Shallow, removable, upholstered seat (sometimes canework with squab cushion instead) contained within side rails and flush with rail at front and back. Armchairs with bold scroll arms curving down from lower part of crest rail several inches from front, but sometimes resting directly on it. Small rosette may conceal counter-sunk screw or pin on outer side of knee, strengthening seat rail joint. May not be original, but added later to disguise a mend.
Deep, broad crest rails over-riding side uprights introduced about 1820, though most post-1830. Later examples undecorated and may be curved in section for greater comfort. Actually a more correct interpretation of klis-rnos chair-back than previous form and known at the time as ‘Grecian’.
Many chairs made with similar backs but stuff-over seats and straight, tapering legs. These could be ring-turned or reeded or, after 1820, fluted, becoming thicker and clumsier with time.
Arms were of the previous Sheraton type, by about 1830 always curving straight down into the front legs.
Country versions with straight tapering legs of square section, still joined by stretchers, and planked, dished seats. Popular design for lower back support a double rail enclosing wooden balls. Some rope turning will
occasionally be found.
After 1835 designs became noticeably fussier, with shaped and carved crest rails, heavy legs and deep, moulded show-wood seat rails. Sometimes drop-in seats of sabre-leg chair type were incorporated.
Predominantly rosewood and mahogany. Elm, oak and fruitwoods for country chairs; beech
William IV chair with broad crest-rail and straight legs.
fiegency chair retaining elegant rope back but with straight hared legs.
Because of their relatively simple structure and design, a set of straight-legged chairs of this date is easy to enlarge by ’scrambling’  taking all the chairs apart, removing one or two members from each one  sufficient to make up a number of ‘new’ chairs  and by replacing the missing parts with new timber. The resulting set does not include a single totally new chair, but a large number of ‘repaired’ ones. This practice can be very difficult to detect without examining every member and comparing it with corresponding members in the rest of the set for colour, grain, finish, knocks, and so on. If openly done, and within reason, and reflected in the price, scrambling is not always
unacceptable.
and pine for painted pieces. Brass and ebony used for inlay.
Sabre-leg chairs: Back and seat rails tenoned into sides. Flat crest rails sometimes veneered. Legs and side rails cut from single piece of timber, the wood sawn across the grain, thereby creating structural weakness,
particularly below the knees. Check there for signs of repair. (Because of this design flaw and the technical difficulties involved in the cutting, country makers appear to have avoided sabre legs altogether.)
Drop-in seats sit on pegs rising from centre of front and back rails. Stuff-over seats rare and probably indicate provincial manufacture. Straight-leg chairs. Standard seat frame construction was employed.
On both types, the over-riding top rail is rebated into front of uprights and screwed from behind. Holes filled with dowels.
Ebony stringing and inlay on crest rails from about 1805-1815, thereafter brass. Alternatively, shallow carving flush with surface. Most popular motif for both types, the anthemion. Palm leaves also popular.
Gilt decoration on ebonised (black-painted) surfaces, mostly as simple lines and small rosettes.
Some sabre-legs painted and grained to simulate more valuable rosewood.
Polish, paint.
Always popular, so, despite sets being relatively common, prices are level with those of earlier Hepplewhite and Sheraton chairs.
Desirable features which raise the price include solid rosewood and brass inlay.
Grained beech (of which sets abound) cost considerably less than rosewood.
Late Regency/William IV, with over-riding crest rails, used to be a cheaper option, but they have become more popular.
Regency beech chair turned to simulate bamboo.
MOCK-BAMBOO
The exotic furnishings of the Prince of Wales’s Brighton Pavilion encouraged a fashion for simulated bamboo chairs made in beech and pine and painted in cream, brown or pastel colours. All members are turned, with
double collars representing the nodes of the cane. With caned seats, simple arrangements of verticals and horizontals forming the backs, and tapering legs splaying outwards towards the foot, these delicate little chairs were intended for occasional or bedroom use, not for dining. Crudely gilded modern versions have been made since the thirties for use by the hotel and catering trades.

CHAIRS: UPHOLSTERED
About 1720-1840
Queen Anne side-chair, about 17.30.
Surviving upholstered chairs made for drawing-room use date mostly from after 1720 and, although originally made in sets, are more often found today in pairs, or even singles.
Many resemble contemporary dining-chairs in the design of legs and stretchers and the general shape of arms, but have fully upholstered seats (sometimes with a show-wood rail), fully or partly upholstered backs and mostly open arms with padded rests. Some (particularly those with cabriole legs) will have shaped and carved rear legs - a sign of high quality.
Most common types:
Mid-18thC side-chair with fine pierced stretchers.
Side-chairs (without arms), about 1720-1770: Straight, flat, upholstered backs, often with slightly rounded corners. Occasionally serpentine top around 1750.
Spoon-back or ‘Compass-seated’ chairs, about 1720-1740: Shepherd’s crook arms, cabriole legs, waisted ’spoon’ backs.
Chippendale style, about 1750-1775: Low, square backs and broad, square seats. Either ‘French’ with undulating seat rails, scrolled arms, cabriole legs (the grandest are highly carved  and sometimes gilded  with separate ‘escutcheon’ back) or ‘Gainsborough’ with straight legs and stretchers, arm supports sweeping down from rest to front of seat. May have Gothic or chinoiserie carved detail.
Neo-classical Adam-type, about 17701800: Often highly carved and painted or gilded. Oval backs, arms usually sweeping down to meet turned and fluted or reeded legs; curved and shaped seats. Seat rails were also often reeded, interspersed with paterae and so on.
`French Hepplewhite’, about 1775 to 1800: Delicate version of French rococo armchairs, often with a shaped back separate from the seat.
Regency forms, about 1800-1830: French Empire type with continuous rounded backs
forming arms and sabre legs. Or, distinctive continuous U-shaped seat and arms with plain, low, rectangular back.
Walnut, mahogany; rosewood during Regency. Beech when painted or gilded (mostly from 1770 onwards) and for underframes.
Standard methods employed. See full details on p. 57-59.
Upholstery is unlikely to be original throughout. The number of empty tack holes in the frame may indicate the extent of former upholstery. Remember that correctly shaped padding and authentic reproductions of
textiles and trimmings of the right date will greatly enhance a chair’s appearance (and maybe increase its value). Perfectionists would advocate the use of traditional upholstery techniques and materials, too.
As for side-chairs, but often more elaborate and extensive carving.
Polish, paint, gilding.
Mostly in the lower half of four-figure sums, decreasing with younger age. The grandest, highly carved and gilded chairs with good provenance, are at a premium. Period upholstery  if in usable condition (particularly needlework and tapestry) -will add considerably to the value.
Left mahogany ‘Gainsborough, armchair, about 1760-1770.
Right, neo-classical gilded drawing-room chairs in the style of Robert Adam.
Armchair in ‘French Hepplewhite style.
The introduction of the coiled spring for upholstery in the late 1820s brought greater comfort and a more rounded appearance to padding. A great variety of upholstered furniture became available, often sold in suites comprising a sofa, or chaise longue, a pair of easy chairs (one gentleman’s, with arms; one lady’s, without) and six side-chairs.
The majority were in a curvaceous rococo style, with moulded show-wood frames, rounded and waisted ’spoon’ backs and short.
Armchair with continuous ous curves from  arm to foot,
scrolling cabriole legs. Arms, when present, formed as one continuous scroll with front leg, bulging over the knee and ending in ball-like ‘French’ scroll feet. Low seats; deep naturalistic carving on knees and centre of
top and front seat rails. Always on castors, sometimes of white or brown porcelain (a post-1850 feature). Distinctive convex curve evolved for slightly outward-splaying back legs.
Later spoon-backs (post 1870) may have straight, turned legs.
Occasionally a separate padded oval back supported on carved, inward-curving extensions of back legs.
Squared-up versions with straight, turned legs and arched backs appeared around 1860, becoming increasingly heavy with carving of classical rather naturalistic nature. Deep mouldings replaced by incised lines.
Variations abounded after 1880, their only common features being straighter contours.

CHAIRS: HALL AND PORTER’S
18thC mahogany hall chair - Regency hall chair with sabre legs - oak and mahogany hall chairs
Distinctive 18thC mahogany hall chair with a carved shell back.
18th and 19th century antique hall chairs designed to stand in the hall (also corridors and landings) of large houses. Used by servants and visitors of low standing while waiting to be called in attendance. Consequently hall chairs have hard wooden seats, always without cushions. Usually made in large sets of chairs, often of a dozen or more.
Distinctive waisted chair backs, the sides of the lower part inward-curving or scrolled. Generally solid back with carved decoration, but can be partly pierced (usually on cresting or lower part). Often a central panel containing the carved or painted crest or emblem of the owner (a device intended to impress visitors on entering the house).
Regency hall chair with sabre legs.
Shape variable. Popular designs include: shells, shields, crescents, ovals and vases. Heavily carved Gothic architectural forms such as arches, pinnacles, crockets popular around 1830.
Solid wooden seats, often of curvaceous outline and sometimes with circular dish turned in centre (to stop the sitter sliding off the shiny surface).
Hall chair legs followed prevailing patterns set by early versions: cabriole legs with pad feet, followed after about 1765 by turned or square-sectioned tapering legs. Sabre legs common during Regency followed by straight turned legs again, becoming heavier after about 1825. A few based on Italian Renaissance scabello; could be (correctly) heavily carved, or completely lacking decoration.
Hall chairs are always mahogany, but occasionally oak. Rosewood or walnut only rarely.
Standard methods employed for chair legs and seat frame. The wooden seat simply rests on top of the underframe.
Mostly carving. Monograms were painted on. Additional partial gilding was not uncommon after about 1800.
If the chair is completely painted beech or pine it is probably not a hall chair. Very similar chairs  often with a ’shell’ back  were made for use in gardens and garden buildings.
VALUES. Very often antique hall chairs are found in pairs today, seldom in long sets. Not very popular, due mostly to their total lack of comfort. Best quality long sets of pairs fetch four-figure sums.

CHAIRS: SHERATON
About 1780-1810
Designs for chair backs from Thomas Sheraton’s Drawing Book (1792).
Although contemporary with Hepplewhite and sharing many features, antique chairs of Thomas Sheraton (published between 1791 and 1803), exerted a broader and longer-lasting influence. A designer, not a practising cabinet maker, Sheraton illustrated both English and French styles, many of them anticipating the Regency style. Some were highly imaginative and technically ingenious, and probably were never executed.
Lighter designs than Hepplewhite’s; lower, square backs with strong horizontal and vertical emphasis. Typically a narrow cross-rail several inches above seat with an increasingly broad crest rail. Space between filled with delicately carved and moulded vertical or diagonal bars in a variety of geometric, latticework and popular patterns. Fewer curving lines than previously. Sometimes filler design over-rides crest rail in centre (see illus.).
Designs of armchairs were particularly suc-
Pair of Sheraton-style mahogany chairs, about 1790-1800.
Very simple Sheraton-style side-chair, 1800, arm rests sweeping down from a point close to crest rail, either to meet vertical supports set slightly back from seat front, or, continuing into a second curve meeting short supports, or even extensions of front legs.
Side uprights, arms and legs occasionally turned and sometimes fluted (this more common after 1800). Legs end in spade feet.
Seats were drop-in or stuff-over. May be gently curved at back and sides. Canework and squab’cushions on painted and japanned chairs. Not uncommon for these to be over-stuffed at a later date; removal of
upholstery will reveal canework holes in frame. (These may have small panel of canework incorporated in the design of the back.)
Narrow, straight, tapering legs, moulded, reeded or fluted, sometimes with spade feet. With or without stretchers.
Mahogany; satinwood; beech and birch when painted or japanned. Beech and sometimes ash for underframes. Oak, beech, elm and local woods for country versions.
Standard practices employed; crest rail set between uprights, not overriding them.
Delicate, often restrained, low-relief carving on splats. Sometimes fine inlay on crest rails, mostly in form of stringing lines. Painted dec-
oration of flowers.
Polish, paint, japanning.
VALUES
Not dissimilar to Hepplewhite . Even sets of eight seldom more than four figures. The more delicate the design (without losing structural strength), the more desirable will be the chair.
PROVINCIAL AND COUNTRY INTERPRETATIONS
Very plain surfacesof this Sheraton chair is very typical, little or no moulding, carving or turning. Straight tapering legs, usually retaining stretchers. Backs were composed of simple vertical and
horizontal bars.

CHAIRS — upholstered, Regency
The vast majority of the furniture produced in the eighteenth century was restrained in design. Even the rococo extravagances made for the very wealthy had a sense of order. In the nineteenth century the mass market demand for more decorative furniture became increasingly strong but the results were not always successful.
A well-executed rosewood armchair but the splay effect of the highly decorated hairy feet is amusing rather than impressive. The long seat and high straight back make it look extremely uncomfortable.
c. 1820
The relatively heavy square section fluted legs point to a Regency date, the back is beautifully curved, the elegant little scrolls and rounded section to the back make this a very fine example of high Regency furniture at its best.
c. 1810
A Thomas Hope chair in the grand Egypto-Classic manner with animals, paw feet, wings, coronet, gilding, ebonising, stars and leaves. A Brighton Pavilion fancy which is not altogether happy in the modern home.
1810-1820
Clearly an evolution of the previous design, but while it lacks some of the subtlety, it is a solid functional attractive chair.
c. 1815
Still hairy feet but some sense of movement on the arms and legs instead of the square constipated look of the previous two examples, decorated with simple reeding and thin veneered back rails.
A rare form of Bergere chair with an unusual and uncomfortable shaped back. An extending footrest beneath the seat would add to the value.
c. 1820